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Indesit Moon washing machine

The Indesit Moon washing machine advert has a catchy tag line, “Future Friendly” and a catchy music track by New Order (Hey Now What You Doing, from the album Waiting For The Sirens’ Call).

I’m sceptical about the use of the phrase “future friendly” though. To me, if the phrase doesn’t mean it will last a very long time, it at least implies that a product is so technically advanced that it is unlikely to be superseded by anything better in the near future. If they have genuinely pulled this off it would be an amazing achievement for one of the cheapest brands in the UK.

The advert now being broadcast on TV is very slick. It shows lots of robots mingling with people in everyday life apparently integrated into society. The accompanying overlaid text says, “One day – Man and machine – Will live together – In perfect harmony”. Then as a woman loads her new Indesit washing machine with laundry it continues, “ That day – Has dawned”. As she closes the door the voice over says, “Indesit Moon: Future friendly”.

The advert is brilliant (I’m not being sarcastic). It has great music, great visuals, and a great overall concept. I was just disappointed to see it was only advertising a washing machine – and one of the cheapest washing machines in the business. £299 for a 6 kg washing machine with a 1400 rpm spin is cheap, and these days many cheap washing machines are notoriously not worth repairing (and get scrapped way too soon) if they break down out of guarantee unless it is a minor fault.

It would be great if the spare parts for this washing machine are going to be priced lower than previous Indesit spare parts, and at levels that make it economic to repair in the future. So far this is not the case with many cheap washing machines and to me, something can’t be truly future friendly if it isn’t worth repairing after 3 or 4 years just because the PCB has failed.

Looks

I do like the look of this washing machine. I also like the simple solitary control button offering just 4 wash programmes. Many customers have often told me they want simple controls and fewer programmes – not more. It will appeal to customers buying at the budget end who see extremely simple controls as a priority but they won’t have to mind if this involves compromises elsewhere.

The innovative soap dispenser behind the door looks interesting too although it’s too early to judge if this is a genuinely good idea or not yet. The advantage is that “because water is constantly splashing inside this dispenser as the drum rotates it should be kept very clean”. However, one disadvantage is that it replaces the customary door glass so you cannot see the laundry inside. Although I would have thought the novelty of watching clothes go round and round in a washing machine has long since worn off it is still useful to be able to see the washing as the drum revolves. You can occasionally notice something that shouldn’t be there (such as a coin or credit card) and stop the wash to attempt to retrieve it before any damage occurs.

I’ve heard from an engineer of one person who’s Indesit Moon broke down full of water, but not being able to see the water they opened the door whereupon the water cascaded out all over the floor. If Indesit have not combined the non-see-through door with a door lock that prevents opening when water is still inside I would say that it is a bad mistake.

At the end of the day this is a great advert bigging up a normally quite basic brand who’s priority is to make washing machines as cheaply as possible and hopefully give some value for money. It represents Indesit trying to become more sophisticated and more innovative, but it will only be truly “future friendly” if it proves to be much more reliable than other previous models, and if spares are much more reasonably priced to encourage future repairs.

_

Update: (13/12/07) Which? have since reviewed the Indesit Moon and their opening paragraph says, “we weren’t overly impressed by the Moon”. However, surprisingly they say it is good at rinsing, which is remarkably rare these days and even most of their “best buys” aren’t ( Why can’t modern washing machines rinse properly? ) So if you require a cheap washing machine and rinsing is especially important to you because of irritation or allergies you might be interested in one. It has to be said though that Indesit don’t have a good reliability record according to Which?

Which? Best washing machine brands? Over 190 washing machines tested and reviewed in Britain’s biggest ever tests (Plenty of free information but will need to be a subscriber (take advantage of the 30 day trial offer) to get the full benefit of the latest washing machine reviews)

Compare prices of Indesit Moon

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Written By - Washerhelp on July 30th, 2007 with 62 comments
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62 Comments

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Paul Paul
#1. August 6th, 2007, at 9:46 PM.


We’ve just ordered one from Sainsburys as it only worked out £13 more than the John Lewis price mentioned to take the old one away too.

Washerhelp Andy(A.R.T)Trigg
#2. August 8th, 2007, at 4:11 PM.


I’ve known many people who had to scrap their washing machine in the second year because it was going to cost too much to fix after they suffered an early breakdown outside the normal 12 month guarantee. The last one was 14 months old and another recent one I know about was 18 month old.

Hopefully yours will be OK (I’m not suggesting that the majority of people would have such problems) but with cheap washing machines an extra years guarantee can prove very useful and is worth even paying a bit more for.

Anon Anon
#3. October 15th, 2007, at 11:14 AM.


Don’t bother with this washing machine. I was part of the ‘Moon Trial’ last November (2006) and wish I hadn’t bothered. The seal of the door is covered in mould which I can’t get off and an engineer told us how to take the parts off to clean it – interesting considering it is meant to be self cleaning..

Also, our dog can open the door on it and loves to pull all the washing out. So if you have small children don’t bother with this as there is no child lock.

robert jones robert jones
#4. December 4th, 2007, at 3:45 PM.


Now on our second machine. First one delivered 10.10.07 took 190 minutes on the 60 wash instead of 145 as advertised. Retailer said machine was faulty and replaced it on 14.11.07
60 wash remains at 187 – 190 minutes. Still in discussion with retailer to see if Indesit plan a modification or admit to a problem.
Would welcome views of other users.

robert jones robert jones
#5. December 14th, 2007, at 5:37 PM.


Further to the above, the retailer has been unable to make meaningful contact with the manufacturer so we are returning the second machine. I note the remarks re the rinse which I believe is the root cause of the problem. The rinse cycle goes on and on, even with minimum detergent, for some 25-30 minutes, with subsequent use of water and energy. Perhaps Which should do a re-test.

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#6. December 14th, 2007, at 8:01 PM.


Thanks for the update Robert. The problem with testing is that people only test the most commonly used pogramme, which is usualy the 40 degree cottons wash. The eco labels system for example base their awards on that. The other programmes could be useless but a washing machine could still get an A wash efficiency rating.

Just make sure your problem isn’t being caused by siphoning due to the drain hose being pushed too far down after being freshly installed.

It probably isn’t, but just in case have a look at this section on Washerhelp – Washing machine constantly fills with water and goes down the drain

If siphoning was the problem it would be losing water down the drain on rinses and the washing machine would constantly have to keep topping up with water. This can cause it to stick on rinses (and sometimes on wash).

robert jones robert jones
#7. December 18th, 2007, at 3:53 PM.


I’ve always been aware of the siphoning problem with washing machines so that was the first thing that I checked. Also the vertical and horizontal levels to an exact level. It looks as though our replacement machine will be a Bosch so await the washing times with great interest.
I read in the press that the State of California (always short of water) are cracking down on manufacturers whose wahing machines take longer than the claimed times, some by a considerable time.

Tom Jones Tom Jones
#8. December 30th, 2007, at 8:45 PM.


Bought and installed a moon just prior to christmas, on the 1st wash noticed an odd noise as the drum turned (sounds like the inner drum rubbing against the outer). Stopped the machine and messed around with the feet and managed to get the 1st wash done with no noise.

Put the 1st wash on and the noise returned, so further adjustment of feet to stop the noise. Unfortunately the back feet are now 15mm higher than the front, a spirit level in the drum however shows the drum now level, even though the machine is not. Also, when moving the drum from within, pushing the drum backward at the back and top shows only 1cm of play before a “dunk” is heard.

Am going to get the machine replaced in the new year as I don’t think this is normal behaviour, and to continue to use the machine would cause it a premature end. (when the machine spins up if I hear it rub it slows the drum momentarily – can’t be good). Hopefully the replacement will be better.

robert jones robert jones
#9. January 2nd, 2008, at 5:07 PM.


Tom (no relation I hasten to add !) I notice today that John Lewis have reduced the price of the Moon to £239, Comet to £265 and Currys do not feature it on their site. Looks like the word has finally got round, thanks perhaps to this super blog.

DAve DAve
#10. January 3rd, 2008, at 6:05 PM.


Tom Jones
it sounds like you have removed the transit bolts but maybe left the plastic spacers between drum and rear of machine in place.

happens a lot.
respect
Dave

DAve DAve
#11. January 3rd, 2008, at 6:34 PM.


Word of Warning Regarding MOON

Great no frills washer looks good .Designed for no messing about just press go with only 4 progs ,GREAT for dear old lady who wants easy to use machine with fast 1400 spin i thought. ERR NOT SO GREAT. Most modern digital machines need to be satisfied of a balanced load prior to spin or they restart the spin cycle to attempt to rebalance clothes , if not they eventually stop without spin. You cannot select a spin on this machine AT ALL.. min prog 30 mins which has slow 800 spin only. Dear old lady generely washes 1 item = out of balance = not always spins = reselect prog on hope it spins and if it does only 800 spin. . any comments on this ?

Tom Jones Tom Jones
#12. January 3rd, 2008, at 10:48 PM.


Thanks for all comments, unfortunately I can confirm I have 4 transit bolts complete with plastic spacers sitting on my kitchen worktop, so it’s not that, unless of course one was lost when the bolts were installed and they put an extra one in for good measure!

Interesting to see JL are selling it for 240, I assume that’ll be with their 2 year guarantee too.

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#13. January 4th, 2008, at 10:44 AM.


DAve (January 3rd, 2008, at 6:05 PM)

You make a good point about the transit packaging although Tom has now replied saying it isn’t relevant in this case. If Tom has had John Lewis agree to exchange the Moon washing machine without sending anyone out to check it first he’s done well or it shows what good service john Lewis give. A substantial amount of problems causing customers to ask for an exchange are installation or user errors. This is why suppliers would normally insist on getting an engineer out first in case it’s something really simple to put right, or an installation / user fault. ( I explain this problem in detail on my consumer advice section – I don’t want my washing machine repaired – I want it exchanged )

DAve: (January 3rd, 2008, at 6:34 PM)

The problem with modern washing machines not spinning unless they detect a good balanced load is there with all washing machines. However, some are much worse than others.

A good rule of thumb is that the good quality washing machines have more sophisticated and reliable balance distribution and detection software. They also have better quality suspension. The cheap washing machines have crude suspension in comparison with the quality makes and they wouldn’t cope with a badly out of balanced load so well, could even cause a lot of damage. As a consequence the cheaper makes may be extra cautious about what they allow to spin.

The problem you mention regarding not having a usable spin program is something people should watch out for before buying. A washing machine should have a separate spin program for spinning hand washed items or for re-spinning occasionally.

If there is definitely no proper spin on the Moon, and it does force a half hour rinse program then that’s not very “friendly” at all and pretty rubbish. This is possibly one of the compromises I mention in my article. At the end of the day, very simple usually means limited too. Although designers can make things simpler by clever design, something designed to specifically have very few options in order to be extremely simple to use has to compromise on options and flexibility.

martin martin
#14. January 13th, 2008, at 8:36 PM.


Bought this model off john lewis for the £239 price, so I’ve got the 2-year guarantee. Also managed to install it myself (whoo!) on friday, not bad considering the previous model was about 15 years old and basically had a fitted kitchen built around it… getting a waste pipe with no kinks round the back of a 3-foot deep cupboard is no mean feat :-)

one thing I specifically picked the machine for was it’s size. It’s only 58 cm deep. Our old machine (a zanussi fl828) was 60cm and had to hold it’s breath to fit in the space allocated. All the new washing machines I looked at are slowly getting bigger, 61, 63, 65 cm and wouldn’t have fitted. What’s with the size bloat?

Couple of grumbles…
a) the 1400 spin only applies to the hottest cycle, the cooler cycles are only 800/1000 so the tumble dryer is going to get as much work as there’s no plain spin programme

a) not machine related but john lewis had fubar’ed the order, despite paying the £9 for the old machine to be taken away, the couriers hadn’t received that part of the order and refused to take it as they had no room in the van. Errr…so how did you bring the new machine then? they slope off…. status of complaint with johhny lewis is pending…

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#15. January 14th, 2008, at 11:30 AM.


martin:

The growth in depth is commonly due to the extra large drum sizes these days. They need to use extra depth. The Indesit Moon has a 6Kg drum which is larger than your old one.

Another reason is design styles. Flat fronted washing machines are seen as old fashioned, and current designs tend to have a convex front. They may look good, but many people in the UK have small kitchens and lack a separate laundry room. It’s bad design for them as many installations are tight and have either a kitchen drawer, a cupboard door or a back door opening across it. This can cause major problems if the washing machine front, or its control panel bulges out.

On your point about the spin

This is the case with all washing machines – at least these days. I have a 1400 spin Miele, one of the best washing machine makers in the world, and it too only uses the 1400 spin on cottons. Here are the recommended spin speeds for various laundry from their instruction book -

Cottons: 1400 rpm
Minimum iron: 1200 rpm
Delicates: 600 rpm
Woollens: 1200 rpm
Silks: 400 rpm
Shirts: 600 rpm
Denim: 900 rpm

Having said that, there is a separate spin programme where I can spin anything I like at full spin speed. It would be inconvenient to have to constantly re-spin certain items, but at least most washing machines let you do that if you choose to. It does appear that the Indesit Moon does not have a proper separate spin only programme so this is a negative issue with the Indesit Moon for some people.

Delivery issue

The problem you had with the delivery people is a little suspicious because exactly the same thing happened to me. I would have thought it unlikely that they didn’t receive that part of the order because it’s all generated by computer when you order. It doesn’t rely on (as in the old day) someone jotting your order on a notepad and telephoning it though.

In my case the delivery men apologised and promised to return another day. This wasn’t too inconvenient for me but it could be for others. If they didn’t offer to return to pick up the old washer then you certainly have a complaint there.

I can’t help suspecting that sometimes it could be the van drivers manipulating the situation because they have a particularly bad run that day. The problem they could face is that they start out with a van full of new products all placed in position on the van. The first deliveries are the most accessible and the ones right at the back are the later deliveries. As they deliver the first few, if everyone wants the old one taken away the old ones block access to the next deliveries. It’s not hard to imagine a situation where several old washing machines, dishwashers and fridges completely log-jam the deliveries.

At the end of the day though that’s not the consumer’s problem and they should get what they’ve ordered and paid for. This particular case could be as I described or it could be a genuine cock up where they weren’t told to take it.

I’m sure John Lewis will sort it out for you, their customer service is normally the best in the business – as confirmed by Which? ( Which? – John Lewis is nation’s favourite store )

robert jones robert jones
#16. January 15th, 2008, at 10:38 AM.


Ref Martin and the non-collection. I was dealing with John Lewis Direct with my problem and promised calls did not always materialise. Two letters to the following gentleman resulted in a direct telephone to a senior manager lady who was excellent : Shash Mistory. Head of Customer Services, J.L.Direct, Draycott Ave, London, SW3 2NA
PS I would like to know how long the 60 degree wash takes on yr Moon, the best we ever achieved was 187 mins – 3 hrs 7 mins !

mathew King mathew King
#17. January 28th, 2008, at 4:15 PM.


The Indesit moon washing machine is’nt Future friendly if the machine fills up to much. It said in the review that when it breaks down the door unlocks and water spirts all over ther place.
My Bosch machine you can’t even see the water in it! It only fills up small.

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#18. January 28th, 2008, at 8:50 PM.


Hello mathew King. The evidence regarding the door on the Indesit Moon being able to open when full of water if it breaks down mid cycle (assuming it had been switched off a few minutes to allow the interlock to de-energize) is anecdotal. I heard it from a repair engineer who had a customer that this had happened to.

There are many washing machines that will let you open the door with water inside if you switch it off (or it breaks down) mid cycle and wait a few mins for the interlock to cool down and release. The reason it is an issue with the Moon is that it is has no glass door so you can’t see that there is still water inside.

Becky Becky
#19. February 5th, 2008, at 8:20 AM.


I bought an Indesdit Moon a few days ago and I am really pleased with it. The wash times are as advertised and the wash is both well rinsed and well spun. It is really quiet without any particular balancing or levelling during installation. Overall very satisfied with my purchase.

robert jones robert jones
#20. February 6th, 2008, at 4:04 PM.


Becky, I am most interested to read your comments re the washing times. Can you confirm that the 60 degree wash takes the 145 minutes as claimed in the manual ? Even Comet say it takes 164 mins. If yours is 145 then I think they must have modified the rinse sensor on later machines.

Carl Francis Carl Francis
#21. March 23rd, 2008, at 10:46 AM.


I read all the comments on you page with interest, I was going to buy a moon but now have been put off. The reasons being the long cycles, no option to spin, door opening when full in the machine breaks down, slow spin on low temp wash. Good site with good comments.

Phil Phil
#22. April 3rd, 2008, at 2:06 PM.


i have a question is the MOON Hot and Cold Fill or Just Cold?? a quick reply would much appreciated as I’m installing my moon now!!

if it is both hot and cold then the people who are concerned about the length of a cycle are you just using the cold fill if you are then the machine will take time to heat the water and thus make the cycle longer

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#23. April 3rd, 2008, at 2:22 PM.


Phil: Virtually every washing machine is now cold fill only including the Indesit Moon.

The whole concept of hot and cold fill washing machines is virtually redundant and out dated. Modern washing machines use so little water that most would not take any hot water in and still have to heat it up. This is because by the time the hot water runs into the machine it’s finished filling. There is also an argument that having a hot valve is wasting hot water for most people because in most cases all that happens is the washing machine draws in a few litres of water but it’s cold because the hot water has cooled in the pipes. It stops filling just at the time that proper hot water has been drawn into the pipework but not reached the washer (or only just reached it). This hot water doesn’t get used and is usually wasted as it rapidly cools in the pipework.

Also, when supplied from a hot water cylinder, all the water drawn into the pipes is replaced by cold from the header tank in the loft, which cools down the rest of the hot water and has to be heated back up.

In this common scenario all that happens when a modern washing machine draws a couple of litres of water of hot and cold water is that none gets into the machine but hot water is wasted and replaced by cold which needs heating up again. Even with combination boilers there is still waste hot water because of cooling in pipes and it takes a lot of energy to heat water instantly as it passes through the boiler. There may well be scenarios where all this doesn’t happen but it does for the majority of people.

It’s all explained in this article but it’s lengthy – Cold fill washing machines

At the end of the day, manufacturers are falling over themselves to produce washing machines that use less energy to get the coveted A energy efficiency rating. If it used less energy using a hot valve, you would think they’d put one in. As most people only wash at 40 degrees and less, and I believe we are heading for cold water washing anyway I can’t see the hot valve coming back

I do believe it is possible to use one – particularly for the boil or 60 degree washes that all manufacturers say we should do regularly ( Washing machine manufacturers now recommend a maintenance wash once a month ) to keep the washing machine clean inside. However, it would need sophisticated techniques to overcome the problems mentioned that caused the demise of the hot valve in the first place and involve wasting the first draw of water which would need to be pumped out (there’s no room to store it for later use in the rinses).

Peter Peter
#24. June 4th, 2008, at 10:52 PM.


So then if there is a connection for cold and hot water do i need to connect pipe to hot valve ? ?

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#25. June 5th, 2008, at 11:03 AM.


There is only a connection for a cold water hose on virtually all washing machines now. You just connect the cold fill hose. You should ideally blank off the old hot tap.

You should be able to buy a screw-on cap from a plumbers merchant (or maybe a DIY store) to seal off the hot valve.

In theory, just leaving the hot tap turned off and unused should be fine (and that’s what most people do) but many common taps are prone to getting accidentally knocked and allowing water to leak out. I’ve heard of cases where the lever’s been knocked inside the cupboard or even by the washing machine moving about on spin if fitted behind it causing floods. A slow dripping tap can cause a lot of damage.

Deano Deano
#26. October 12th, 2008, at 1:43 PM.


Hi

I bought one of these for my Father and whilst not being to worried about wash cycles taking a bit longer than advertised, we do find that after the wash has finished and before he goes to do another wash, the liquid dispenser is still full of water and if he tries to add laudry liquid it obviously overflows. He now uses a ball, but maybe this sitting water is a reason for the damp and mold issues?

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#27. October 13th, 2008, at 12:00 PM.


Deano: The water problem could be caused by a blockage in the same way that you can get a fabric conditioner compartment full of water after each wash as dealt with here – The fabric conditioner / rinse aid compartment is always full of water

Matthew Matthew
#28. October 18th, 2008, at 8:26 PM.


We recently purchased the new Indesit Moon washing machine in the UK. It’s a great washing machine and everything wash related seems fine, the only problem is when we open the door, regardless of whether we had completed a wash 1 minute or 1 day ago, water seems to leak onto the floor. Not sure where the water is coming from everytime (trays, condensation etc.) but it always seems alot and the manufacturers seem to think it’s the sponge at the bottom of the dispencer, but we’ve squeezed this out loads and always seem to have the same problem.

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#29. October 20th, 2008, at 2:12 PM.


Don’t know if that’s a common problem or not Matthew. Sounds like a design issue. The soap dispenser is inside the door on this machine and it sounds like it’s holding water. Having said that though, if it runs out when you open the door, why doesn’t it just drain out into the machine before you open the door?

John John
#30. December 16th, 2008, at 12:24 PM.


The collected water in the dispenser is a design fault but easy to fix. Pull the dispenser from the machine and remove the inner syphon cover (pull it up) You’ll be left with a hole you can see directly through. I used a long drill bit slightly larger to remove any burrs of plastic and make the hole 1mm larger. This makes the tube more ‘uniform’ reseat the syphon cover and test under the kitchen tap. The syphon should now work correctly.

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#31. January 5th, 2009, at 6:41 PM.


Just a reminder that repair questions aren’t meant to be posted here. This article is to help inform people about the Indesit Moon as a potential purchase.

Paul Paul
#32. January 14th, 2009, at 9:29 PM.


Hello, we purchased an Indesit Moon direct from Indesit before Xmas. Great machine, easy to use etc and loved it…….it lasted 9 days before starting to trip the electrics every time you used any programme other than the 30 degree quickwash! Called Indesit 2 days before xmas and they agreed as under 28 days to exchange. New one duly arrived New Years Eve. All great again, good wash, great spin and left clothes much drier than we’re used to……guess what, 12 days later, now this one is tripping electrics on any programme other than 30 degree quick wash!!! Grrrrr! Has anyone else experienced this?

Richie Richie
#33. January 20th, 2009, at 9:52 AM.


It was so scary to read through all these comments specially I had just purchase the Moon and waiting for the install tonight….><

Can I assume all those people who satisfy with this machine were just remain silent?…I really hope so…….

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#34. January 20th, 2009, at 3:00 PM.


Ritchie: People with problems are always louder than people without :-)

alif alif
#35. January 23rd, 2009, at 10:52 PM.


hi
I have just bought an indesit moon and the clothes come out of the washing machine cold? at the end of the cycle….is this normal? as my old machine the clothes came out slightly warm…mmmmm…please someone help….

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#36. January 24th, 2009, at 6:11 PM.


Alif: Sounds right to me, this should help – Should the washing come out warm or cold?

Richie Richie
#37. January 27th, 2009, at 4:32 PM.


Hi all, my machine arrived for a week already and work perfectly! It was so simple to use, very very small noise compare with my old one (Zanussi), me and my wife were so happy with this great looking machine! (I am living in HK and the model number of my Moon was #SIXL129D)

Hi Washerhelp, I hope people also can share their happy experience also, especially it was not easy to make money nowaday!

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#38. January 27th, 2009, at 4:56 PM.


Thanks for that Ritchie. Of course all comments are welcome as long as they are fair and accurate. My sites are only interested in the truth.

Sarah Adderley Sarah Adderley
#39. April 6th, 2009, at 6:10 PM.


I have a Moon and every now and then after I do a hot wash I get black sludgy stuff on my clothes; I then have to clean the washer with a sachet of stuff I purchased from Indesit at over a tenner even though it was a new washer and told it was a recognised problem and to use this stuff every 3 months….great, except its like every month or more now I’m using it and I’m also having to rewash stuff every time. When I looked inside the seal and where the drum is, inside the gap between the 2 drums I could see thick black sludge, looked like black/grey blotting paper (?) I’m now thinking I’m gonna have to call someone in to look at it as its getting rediculous now. Any idea’s as to what I can do?

Sarah

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#40. April 7th, 2009, at 12:07 PM.


Hello Sara: It is a recognised problem, but as far as I know it relates to all washing machines and isn’t a specific Indesit Moon problem. If you are using mostly low temperature washes and particularly liquid detergent it’s common to get grease, slime and black sludge building up inside your washing machine. This article explains the problem, hope it helps – Washing machine smells – causes of grease, slime and black mould inside washing machines

Paul Paul
#41. September 8th, 2009, at 11:15 AM.


i have one of these and for normal colors and clothes i find it just fine and like others have said its very quiet but it really does not seem to get my Whites clean

i have tried the 60 wash with various powders , Liquids and whitners (Nappisan , crystal , Vanishetc) but to no avail my whites are still gray and grubby

so anyone have any tips as i am seriously contemplating going back to a machine that does a 90 degree white’s wash

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#42. September 8th, 2009, at 4:28 PM.


Paul: You need to make sure you are using a detergent that contains bleaching agent. No liquids and no kind to coloureds detergents will get whites really white. You might want to check this article out Whites coming out of washing machine looking grey, coloureds losing their colour. If you still have a problem I’d then return suspicion back to the washing machine.

Paul Paul
#43. September 8th, 2009, at 6:24 PM.


Yeah i have tried those the Nappisan , Crystal and Vanish are all bleaching agents that are added to the wash but they seem to have little effect

i have tried small amounts of washing in with nearly double the recommended bleaching agent and the results just arnt very good

leah leah
#44. October 14th, 2009, at 2:12 PM.


hi i bought the indesit moon 2 years ago wen i first moved into my house i thought it was great looking at first! then i noticed a small amount of mould witch is now alot of mould. i tried cleaning it but it wont come off. also the 30 wash is crap it leaves detergent marks on clothes. the door despenser is hard to clean ( lots of nooks and crannys)and does not clean itself as advertised. the machine cost me £300 and im so disopointed with it. bottom line dont buy 1 not reccomended….

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#45. October 14th, 2009, at 3:17 PM.


Hello Leah: In the interests of fairness I suspect most of your issues are not necessarily related to the specific Indesit Moon model apart from the problem with the door dispenser which is unique to that model.

I don’t know if the Indesit Moon is particularly vulnerable to black mould or not but it is a common problem potentially affecting any washing machine, which is caused by low wash temperatures and using detergents (especially liquid detergents) not containing any bleaching agents. Full details here – Washing machine smells – causes of grease, slime and black mould inside washing machines

Washing at 30 degrees is also likely to give poor results in most washing machines unless the items are very lightly soiled and unless specific low temperature detergent is used. There are many caveats to washing at 30 degrees and the limitations are mentioned in this article Washing at 30 degrees

Finally, many modern washing machines don’t have a 30 degree wash cycle suitable for washing cottons on (the Indesit Moon is probably just one of them). Full details here Washing machines with a 30 degree wash cycle

Hope that helps.

Naomi Naomi
#46. October 18th, 2009, at 4:55 PM.


Hi,

I have had my Indesit washing machine for 6 months now, clothes on a 30 degree wash are not coming out clean and are very cold, even on 60 degree wash clothes/sheets/towels are still not clean and still cold. There is a hot water pipe which I have tried to connect but the pipe wont fit. I am very confused with this machine, do you think the electrics are working correctly? Is there anyway I can get my money back?

Any help would be appriectaed.

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#47. October 19th, 2009, at 11:34 AM.


Naomi: The Indesit Moon is cold fill only as are almost all washing machines now. The washing should come out cold – Should the washing come out warm or cold?

30 degree washes aren’t likely to give good wash results in many washing machines. Most 30 degree wash programmes are short, don’t spin fast enough for cottons and are designed for delicates. It’s only recently that detergent manufacturers have started pushing 30 degree washes and most washing machines don’t seem to have programmes designed especially to utilise modern 30 degree detergents.

The Indesit moon washing machine has a 30 degree wash suitable for cottons and synthetics, but it only spins at 800 and it only lasts for half an hour – including rinse and spins.

Daily wash 30 degrees / cold water rinse: This programme can be used to wash lightly soiled or synthetic fabrics, or garments with the wash at 30 degrees instruction on the label in just 30 minutes.. The low wash temperature protects the coloured fabrics. We recommend the use of liquid detergent.

A wash program that lasts a mere 30 minutes and washes at only 30 degrees is not going to give good wash results for normal washing. Only very lightly soiled items are likely to come out clean. This will be true for most other washing machines unless they have a specific cottons wash at 30 degrees designed not for delicates but for normal washing, with proper agitation, full rinses and full spin – only at the reduced temperature of 30 degrees. Alternatively, one with a manual temperature control would allow you to select a proper cottons wash but just turn down the temperature to 30.

Unless there’s a fault on the washing machine there aren’t any grounds for complaint if it just turns out it doesn’t have a programme suitable for washing normally soiled laundry at 30 degrees unless you were advised that it was suitable by the sales person.

Even the detergent manufacturers who make 30 degree only detergent have a long list of caveats where they concede the limitations of washing at 30 degrees. I wrote a couple of articles here you should find useful to read –

Regarding washing not coming out clean at 60 degrees I have the following articles, which may help -

If you don’t think your poor wash results are related to any of the points made in the articles you would need to decide whether to report the washer as faulty or not.

annmarie annmarie
#48. November 30th, 2009, at 3:07 PM.


nan and graddad bought the moon in march
the bottons keep getting stuck it takes forever to do one load and only spins on 40 my nan is not happy we live in the uk and would like to call the indesit company to get it repaired but the number we were given does not work could any please email the uk indesit repair number
thank you

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#49. December 3rd, 2009, at 10:49 AM.


Sorry for the delay in replying annmarie. The Indesit service number can be found on this page along with an idea of their charges although you’ve probably got it sorted by now, sorry.
Washing machine manufacturers call out & labour charges

All modern washing machines take a long time to wash compared with older ones so it might not be a fault as such, this article tries to explain why
Wash Times Too Long? Reasons why. Plus how long does your washing machine take to wash?

Carol Carol
#50. December 22nd, 2009, at 9:56 PM.


I am the owner of an Indesit Moon and have experienced all of the above mentioned problems. Have called out engineer on numerous occasions who often just plugs in a laptop which says there is no problem with the machine. Beware of this because if you have an extended guarantee you will be liable for a call out charge as they say there is no problem found. I also experience problems with 30degree washes. My son’s rugby tops, underarmour etc all state that they have to be washed at this temp but even small marks are still left on them. If I swish them in water by hand they come out, but since the Moon does not have a rinse cycle this is not an option on a day when I can’t dry outside. Also residue left on clothes washed at 30 degrees. Constantly being disappointed by Indesit – whether it is their machine or their call centre service

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#51. December 23rd, 2009, at 12:45 PM.


Thanks for you contribution Carol. You may be interested in this article from Washerhelp’s consumer help section My washing machine is under guarantee, but my repair company say they will charge me if their engineer can’t find any fault. Can they do that?

The opinions in that article are purely my own and I can’t claim any source to back up my opinion other than good old fashioned, and sold common sense :-)

I can’t comment specifically on the standard of aftersales service, other than to say I believe it’s often generally not so good these days especially with cheaper brands because the money to run a high class aftersales service just isn’t there, and engineers are expected to do too many jobs over too wide a range of products in my opinion (and experience).

Regarding the poor results on 30 degree washes there are some important points to bear in mind listed on the articles I linked to on this previous comment

Trev Andrews Trev Andrews
#52. January 21st, 2010, at 5:18 PM.


Bought the Moon from Costco with a 2 year guarantee. Not long after I got it they stopped stocking it. An assistant told me they’d had quite a few returned. well now mine’s going back. It used to be ok (if slightly drawn out) doing the 60 degree wash, but suddenly wouldn’t finish the programme. I had to stop it. wait for it to empty, restart it on 30 & wait for it to finish. then it wouldn’t stop on the 40 degree programme. Now, finally, it’s stopped finishing on 30. It just stops before the final light goes off & goes on forever. First & last time I’ll have an Indesit.

Kevin Keane Kevin Keane
#53. February 13th, 2010, at 7:28 PM.


Bought our Moon 2 years ago and have nothing but trouble, since it being 2 months old. The washing cycles are very much the same as previous washers.
However, after the initial 3 months, we started to notice that on 60 degree washes, the washing was covered in dirty soap scum as well as the internal seal and the door pockets. We thought perhaps we were over-filling with 1CAPSULE and softener but ran out of ideas so called the engineer within the warranty. The engineer told us we have to buy a ‘SPECIAL CLEANER’ at a cost of £25 per bottle which we were supposed to use every other week….
This didn’t seem such an environmentally friendly machine as double the washing of clothes + the extra washing to clean the machine.
This made no difference and the next engineer said you can buy cheaper liquids for cleaning the machine from ‘Tesco’ and ‘Aldi’ so gave them a go. A little better but still dirty marks and still dirty seal around the door.
Indesit’s warranty response is that there is no fault and the cleaning is all part of the use and warranty of the machine. If you do this, it should be fine. 4 engineer visits and about £200 of machine cleaner later….
Pity they don’t tell you any of this when you buy this washing machine.
PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT BUY THIS MACHINE!!!!!!

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#54. February 15th, 2010, at 4:10 PM.


Kevin: I’m not sure if the Indesit Moon is particularly prone to this problem but it’s a common issue with all washing machines these days.

You should be able to use normal detergent to do a maintenance wash as long as it has bleaching agents in it and you use a hot wash. See this comprehensive article = Washing machine smells – causes of grease, slime and black mould inside washing machines

There’s also a product called “smelly washer” which appears to be good.

Kevin Kevin
#55. February 15th, 2010, at 4:19 PM.


Thanks for your response. However, I completely disagree. I have owned Indesit washing machines before, Phillips, Whirlpool and Bosch and never have I had the problems I have had with this machine. I think the other people above would agree.

I have tried every dishwasher cleaner known to man, recommended by the engineer when he came to look at it. Black mould and the ’soap-scum’ is so bad, the machine is in my garage and I bought another machine. The machine didnt clean whites at all. They came out grey or off-white. Certainly dirtier than they went in. I would wash towels and whites twice on a 60 degree wash and that didn’t work so I had a relative wash them in their BEKO machine which cost the £170 and came out sparkling white….
Colours, you can’t tell but it really is not a good washing machine. They don’t sell them anymore I am told by my local Currys. For a machine that is supposed to be state of the art, futuristic and also cost effective, why would they no longer sell them??????

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#56. February 15th, 2010, at 4:50 PM.


Hello Kevin, I’m not sure what you could disagree with – especially completely :-) as I just said I’m not sure if the Indesit Moon is particularly prone to this problem but it’s a common problem with all washing machines. It’s a well known issue caused by modern detergents (especially liquid detergents or colour-friendly detergents which don’t contain any bleaching agents) combined with low temperature washing.

It may be that the Indesit moon is more prone to this problem than other washing machines, I didn’t say it wasn’t, only that I’m not sure.

I’m not trying to be awkward in any way :-) I’m just hoping these links may be of some help – even if only by eliminating them as causes and making it clearer it’s the washing machine at fault.

There’s certainly anecdotal evidence in these comments that it doesn’t wash very well. I’m no fan of the Indesit Moon which as I say in my article was one of the cheapest washing machines around and can only be “future friendly” if it lasts a decent amount of time.

However it’s always worth examining all possible explanations not just the washing machine such as using liquid detergent without any bleaching agent in can cause whites to go grey Whites coming out of washing machine looking grey, coloureds losing their colour

Paul Mc Paul Mc
#57. February 23rd, 2010, at 12:24 PM.


The bearings in my 30 month old Moon have failed. Solution – buy a £165, 12 month policy from Indesit and have it fixed by them. Local repair services are estimating £200 for repair works and are mainly suggesting sending it to the great white(silver) goods mountain. We haven’t even used it excessively, once every other day. We’ve also experienced the powder streaking and mould problems mentioned above. Very disappointing and has tainted my opinion of the brand. Although, it is very pretty!!

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#58. February 23rd, 2010, at 12:35 PM.


Paul. In my opinion if it needs £165 spending on it after only 30 months of light use it’s probably not lasted a reasonable time and hasn’t been fit for its purpose. You should be entitled to compensation from the retailer under the sale of goods act, which may be a partial refund taking into account the 30 months usage you’ve had from it or the amount required to repair it. However, don’t expect to just be able to ask and get because retailers will almost always try to fob customers off claiming there’s nothing they can do because it’s “out of guarantee”, which is totally untrue.

You should read carefully the following article and its comments EU 2 year guarantee. Sale of Goods Act gives us 6 years to claim for faulty appliances

Paul Paul
#59. February 23rd, 2010, at 12:57 PM.


well thats it we are done the moon has been kicked into touch (and and I purchased a Hotpoint) and my whites are now white again after only one wash with the same powders that i used in the MOON

it simply does not clean as well as it should

Washerhelp Washerhelp
#60. February 23rd, 2010, at 3:24 PM.


Hotpoint and Indesit are both the same company with very similar parts inside. Hotpoint have more features and slicker design but aren’t much different quality wise to Indesit I’m afraid. At least you are happier with the wash results which is good.

Paul Paul
#61. February 23rd, 2010, at 3:37 PM.


yup but regardless of same parts and same company the new washing machine actually seems to wash clean has a 90 degree wash and and has a spin only cycle

seems the only thing the MOON had going for it was design

John John
#62. March 10th, 2010, at 1:18 PM.


We accepted an Indesit moon as a replacement to a previous indesit that was under warranty.Having 4 programmes is a great idea, however being unable to select the spin speed is a no no in this climate as the washing came out wet.After 2 weeks we sold it for £100 and bought an Indesit with 1600 spin.

 

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